Micah goes to Canberra

12:02pm Tuesday, 27th October 2009

Will from the NT

Drive to the airport – a mere 20kms, about the same distance some people walk for water each day.
Cabin comforts. Lunch (of course), taken with the surety of carbon offsets purchased pre flight for $8.00 per tonne.
Piers and Margaret, retirees, Vic country Feed the chooks, empty the bins and we’re off by 8 am. First stop is Albury, for Margaret to pick up some smart clothes to meet the politicians. Arrive in Canberra at our friends place by 3.30. When we unpack, disaster strikes! M has left a new pair of slacks in Albury and now has nothing smart to wear. Plan B – visit a Canberra shop to-morrow. Phew!

DAY TWO Saturday 12th Sept

Fiona Grech, Melbourne

Barely breathing I sat on the plane and wondered what the day would bring. Excited at meeting new people, nervous at meeting new people.
Piers and Margaret Great praise time with all the participants – there’s around 270 people, young and old from all over the country. There’s a real buzz in the air as John Beckett (Micah Challenge Director) urges us all to be willing to be changed and believe that political leaders can be changed – and, through them the lives of the poor and marginalised changed.
Lyn Luisi (from the Congo): “You live in a democracy – I don’t. You are the employers of your politicians. Tell them what you want them to do!”

Lucy, 14, Inner West Sydney

Following afternoon tea, the younger members took over the drama room for the youth program.
We discussed some issues like the main contributors to global poverty, memorised important statistics and learnt how to approach politicians by role play. We watched a video about those living in the Carteret Islands who are feeling the effects of Global Warming and are having to relocate due to rising sea levels.

Will

A Prayer
Lord, may our worship soar to you
In and through our giving voice
To the poor.
Thank you for your fellowship, your intellect
And your love witnessed
Through my brothers and sisters
In this place..
Lord, I thank you for the privilege of knowing you, and of playing
Just one part in your body—the Church...
Fiona My psyche hurts—overload, I need my mental file box to work. At nightfall I meet my roomies, ‘inspiring’, ‘’sweetie’ and ‘so darn smart’. It has been a great day.

DAY THREE Sunday 13th Sept

Piers and Margaret

Great praise again, led by a young team of singers. Then more workshopping—Tim Dixon (Rudds speech writer) and Alex both presented a clear and convincing message on how to get our message heard by the pollies.

Lucy

The real excitement started at 1:00pm when 40 teenagers congregated in the city where we met up the Oaktree Foundation, an entirely youth run organization working to raise funds for education and projects in developing areas.
We set off towards the main square with large white letters reading, MAKE POVERTY HISTORY, walking behind an original Bangladeshi rickshaw and chanting anti- poverty slogans. Some of the public looked puzzled but every now and then people would catch on and sing along.

Fiona

The devo brings Hebrew’s heroes of faith alive. Such giant footprints to walk in! Can I be a hero of the faith?
Will took notes—
•“For God’s justice to reign, we must renounce our claim on human justice” (1 Kings 3:16-27)
•“The slums of dark satanic mills [in the UK] are now in northern China, Africa, SE Asia and Latin America. They are now out of sight—sanitized from our view”
•“Micah Challenge—a family of mighty workers for justice”

DAY FOUR Monday 14th Sept

Fiona

Breakfast with the Prime Minister. Who would think? The ‘Poverty and Justice Bible’ coloured in Micah Challenge orange reminding us to care, get alongside, to consider, to love the poor. I’ll have two thanks!

Lucy

My lobby group exited the hall in search of our first politician’s office. Mr. Shayne Neumann was very considerate, and agreed with most of the issues we put forward. Unfortunately, one of my group members had rather scuffed shoes, so Mr Neumann pulled out his brown shoe polish and gave Ed a lesson in shoe shining.

Piers and Margaret

I try to nail Bob McMullen & Marise Payne with the question – “When are you going to change from an aspiration to a firm commitment to 0.7%?” Bob’s answer – the people need to lead on this, not the government. And keep on pressurising us to do it! Well, I thought that was what we are doing!

DAY FIVE Tuesday 15th Sept

Fiona Our farmer friend rescues our meeting with Senator John Forrest. He knows the Senator’s wife’s doctor amongst others. It is about who you know.
1 Samuel 2:7-8 reminds me that we bring the poor to sit with the princes.

Will reflects

We are the body of Christ. And as we meet with kings here in the Parliament of our great south land, Jesus must surely stand amid our motley gatherings of twos and threes, breaching our prejudices and our plenty with those who have not.

Lucy

I hope it will change the way I think about global poverty forever.

Read more about the Voices for Justice conference at

Café

Micah goes to Canberra

www.micahchallenge.org.au